Nik Vucevic named to the rookie-sophomore game at All-Star weekend

Josh Robbins, Orlando Sentinel

NEW YORK — The NBA announced Wednesday that Orlando Magic center Nik Vucevic has been selected by league assistant coaches to participate in the Rising Stars Challenge on Feb. 15 at All-Star weekend in Houston.

Vucevic learned the news from a friend’s text message, and he received happy phone calls from family and friends. General manager Rob Hennigan and teammates congratulated him in the hours leading up to the Magic’s game against the New York Knicks.

“When I read the text, I was very happy,” Vucevic said. “I thought I deserved to make it because I was playing really well, but I wasn’t sure if I was going to. It’s a huge honor for me to be able to be a part of it. It’ll be an exciting weekend for me to look forward to.”

The Rising Stars Challenge is more commonly known as the rookie-sophomore game.

Vucevic entered the day averaging 11.9 points per game and fourth in the NBA in rebounding, averaging 11.2 per game. Vucevic also had compiled 23 double-doubles, tied for the sixth-highest total in the league. He’s also the only Magic player who has played in all 45 of the team’s games.

“It’s a great accomplishment for him,” Magic coach Jacque Vaughn said. “He should be proud of the work that he put in and being acknowledged by other people around the league. So he’s setting a standard for himself, and we expect nothing less of him moving forward.

“I just think we have asked a lot from him, and he has really answered.”

Houston Rockets forward Chandler Parsons, who attended Lake Howell High School and the University of Florida, also was selected.